Adrien Brody plays an American journalist in the Chinese film "Back to 1942". [Photo: douban.com]
Louis Koo in the film "Drug War" [Photo: douban.com]
Two Chinese films, "Back to 1942" and "Drug War", are competing for the top award at the ongoing 7th International Rome Film Festival.
"Back to 1942" is director Feng Xiaogang's take on a deadly famine that hit wartime China in 1942. The movie has an all-star lineup that includes Hollywood actors Adrien Brody and Tim Robbins. Brody plays an American journalist, while Robbins takes the role as a Catholic priest.
"Drug War", a modern thriller by Hong Kong director Johnnie To, tells the story of a police captain's efforts to break up a cocaine ring with the help of an arrested drug lord. The cast includes Louis Koo, Sun Honglei and Huang Yi.
Other films on the festival's 15-film main competition list come from the U.S., Japan, Italy, Poland, Mexico, France, Russia, and Ukraine.
Winners of the Golden Marc'Aurelio Award will be announced when the festival concludes on Saturday, November 17, 2012.
Marco Muller, the celebrated former director of the Venice Film Festival, returned to his hometown this year to serve as the Rome festival's artistic director.